From blueprint to practice: Gansu leads high-quality development with ecological civilization construction
The bank of the Yellow River is also beautiful. Photo by Wang Xina
On July 31, 2023, the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China reviewed and approved the "Decision of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Strengthening the Construction of Ecological Civilization"(hereinafter referred to as the "Decision") at the Third Plenary Session of the 14th Provincial Committee. The official release of the "Decision" points out the direction for Gansu's green development path.
In order to ensure that this heavy "green contract" can take root, sprout and bear fruit, the General Office of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee acted quickly and issued the "Notice on Decomposing and Implementing the Key Tasks of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Strengthening the Construction of Ecological Civilization"", refining the grand blueprint in the" Decision "into 123 specific tasks, and clarifying the leading unit and the cooperating unit to work side by side.
In order to efficiently promote the construction of ecological civilization, Gansu Province has innovatively carried out "Seven Special Actions" and established task forces to implement project-based management and list-based advancement to ensure the effective, orderly and effective implementation of various tasks.
Over the past year, various localities and departments have actively responded to the call of the provincial party committee and based on their own responsibilities, formulated and issued supporting policy documents and implementation rules to integrate the construction of ecological civilization into the entire process of economic and social development. A vivid practice of ecological civilization construction is booming in Gansu. Carry out.
Strengthen the driving force for green transformation: Industrial energy efficiency leaps and goes hand in hand with the digital economy
The release of "Energy Efficiency Benchmarking Levels and Benchmark Levels in Key Industrial Areas (2023 Edition)" is like an accurate navigator that guides the implementation of project classification, transformation and upgrading, and promotes the province's industrial energy efficiency level to a new level. At the same time, the cultivation of new digital economic formats has also been put on the agenda. The issuance of "Key Points for Digital Economic Development in 2024" has drawn a grand blueprint for the development of Gansu's digital economy. Huawei's accelerated project in Gansu and the successful implementation of the project of an intelligent manufacturing base with an annual output of 100,000 AI computing power servers in Suihong, Gansu have given rise to the development of Gansu's digital economy.
The sword of the sea of clouds is unsheathed, and the natural chasm becomes a thoroughfare. Photo by Wang Qining
Good news also came from the construction of Qingyang data center cluster. As an important node of the "Eastern Numbers and Western Calculations" project, Qingyang City is accelerating the construction of data center clusters and continuously improving its infrastructure. Up to now, Qingyang's "Eastern Digital and Western Computing" Industrial Park has built more than 15,000 standard racks, and its computing power has reached 12,000 PFlops, providing solid support for the high-quality development of the digital economy.
Gansu has seized national policy opportunities, established a rolling energy consumption support mechanism, and fully supported the launch of high-quality and high-energy-carrying projects. By strictly implementing energy conservation reviews for fixed asset investment projects, we will strictly control energy efficiency levels to ensure that energy factors are tilted towards high-efficiency industries and projects. From January to May this year, 16 projects have been reviewed for energy conservation, and the intelligent level of energy conservation management has been continuously improved.
At the same time, we will accelerate the construction of the Zhengning Power Plant demonstration project. Each city and prefecture plan and implement a number of key projects in different fields to explore carbon peak paths for cities and parks with different resource endowments and development foundations. In the field of new energy, focusing on deserts, Gobi, and desert areas, we will accelerate the layout of new energy projects, the construction of "solar heat + wind and photovoltaic" projects such as CNNC Yumen and Hengji Weiye (Three Gorges Group) Guazhou, as well as pumped storage The launch of peak shaving projects such as new energy storage is gradually building a diversified and clean energy supply system.
Data shows that in the first half of this year, Gansu's new energy power generation capacity reached 40.76 billion kilowatt hours, accounting for 37.2% of the power generation, ranking second in the country.
Promote pollution prevention and control: Ultra-low emission transformation leads "green change"
With the formulation and issuance of the "Implementation Plan for the Continuous Improvement of Air Quality in Gansu Province", a "green revolution" targeting steel and cement giants has quietly begun. These former major emitters are being given a new mission-ultra-low emissions.
On the one hand, Gansu promotes ultra-low emission transformation in the steel and cement industries, goes deep into the petrochemical industry, and carries out in-depth management of volatile organic compounds to make the air fresher. On the other hand, strict daily research and analysis, regular dispatch notification, and resident supervision and assistance mechanisms have been established to ensure that every measure can be implemented and every responsibility can be consolidated.
Although the cold wind in winter is biting, the northern cities of Gansu are warm and warm. Lanzhou, Jinchang, Wuwei and Linxia, as "pioneers" in clean heating in winter, have led a green transformation in heating methods. While residents enjoy the warmth, they also feel the happiness and tranquility brought by the blue sky and white clouds.
In the battle to defend clear water, Gansu adhered to the "overall planning of three waters", focused on the ecological protection and management of the Yellow River and the protection and restoration of the Yangtze River, and built an ecological compensation mechanism for cross-regional contiguous centralized water supply sources in Liujiaxia and Jiudian Gorge to provide the mother river. Build a solid green barrier. The acceleration of the construction of urban sewage treatment and supporting facilities has enabled 142 national key towns to have sewage collection and treatment capabilities. 18 urban black and smelly water bodies have achieved a magnificent transformation from "black and smelly" to "clear flow". Residents have praised: "The water is clearer, and the environment is more beautiful."
Photo by beautiful scenery in rural areas in Lintan County, Gansu Province in autumn
In terms of the battle to defend the pure land, Gansu has carried out source pollution prevention and control actions against heavy metal pollution such as cadmium in agricultural land soil, implemented relevant major engineering projects, strictly managed key soil pollution supervision units, and included 142 land vacated by closed and relocated enterprises into priority supervision list to ensure that every inch of land can be used safely. At the same time, the investigation of groundwater environmental conditions and the promotion of the delineation of key areas for pollution prevention and control have laid a solid foundation for zoning management and hierarchical prevention and control of the groundwater environment.
In the field of solid waste and new pollutant management, by improving the ability to reduce the source, utilize resources and dispose of solid waste, we will accelerate the construction of "waste-free cities" in countries such as Lan 'Zhou City, Jinchang City, Tianshui City and Lanzhou New Area, setting a new benchmark for solid waste management. In addition, the launch of the new pollution monitoring pilot work also marks a solid step in the management of new pollutants in Gansu Province.
Scientifically restoring ecosystems: achieving full coverage of online monitoring of ecological flows
In order to promote the restoration and management of river and lake wetlands, Gansu Province has formulated the "Provincial Important Wetland Management Measures", which delineate strict "red lines" for the total wetland area and implement refined management of wetland uses. It is reported that in 2024, the five major internationally important wetlands, namely Shouqu of the Yellow River, Gahai, Zhangye Heihe, Dunhuang West Lake and Yanchi Bay, will each receive 10 million yuan in financial support, which will be specially used for wetland protection and restoration work to further restore wetland ecological functions. Protect these "kidneys of the earth".
Photo by Zhao Yingna, Colorful Wetland
In terms of river ecological flow guarantee, Gansu has clarified the ecological flow (water volume) guarantee targets for 28 key rivers and 42 main control sections. By organizing and completing the re-evaluation of water resources demonstration of hydropower stations, installing barrier-free discharge facilities and metering and monitoring equipment, etc. A series of measures have successfully built a provincial-level supervision platform, taking the lead in the country in achieving full coverage of online monitoring of ecological flow.
In response to ecological management issues in fragile areas, Gansu has coordinated and implemented a series of major ecological protection and restoration projects. The integrated protection and restoration project of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand in the water conservation area of the upper reaches of the Yellow River in Gannan has achieved remarkable results, and the ecological restoration of abandoned mines left behind by history is also being carried out in depth. Orderly implement the ecological restoration demonstration project of historical abandoned mines in the Ecological Barrier Area of the Loess Plateau of Gansu (Pingliang City) and the ecological restoration demonstration project of historical abandoned mines in the Key Ecological Area of the Yellow River (Baiyin Section of Gansu). The above projects successfully won the central government in 2024. The support fund of 320 million yuan has injected strong impetus into the ecological restoration work.
In terms of green mine construction, mining enterprises have been actively guided and supported to follow the path of green development by issuing the "Management Measures for Green Mine Construction in Gansu Province" and green mine construction evaluation indicators. At present, 62 mines in the province have been identified as green mines, becoming leaders in the industry.
In addition, Gansu is also actively building a natural protected area system and promoting the integration and optimization of natural protected areas. The "Plan for the Integration and Optimization of Natural Reserves in Gansu Province" has passed the joint review of relevant national ministries and commissions such as the State Forestry and Grassland Administration in April 2024 and is awaiting approval by the State Council. At the same time, Gansu Province has also worked together with Qinghai Province and Sichuan Province to promote the establishment of the Qilian Mountain National Park and the approval of the establishment of Zoige National Park respectively, contributing to the construction of a more complete network of natural reserves.
Carry out land greening actions: "package" policies to help the construction of key projects
In order to strengthen desertification prevention and control and promote the construction of key ecological projects such as the "Three Norths", Gansu has formulated a "package" of policies and measures, and the first batch of 44 key projects have been successfully included in the national development, reform and financial project library. At the same time, afforestation and greening spatial suitability assessment and degraded forest background assessment have been extensively carried out across the province, providing solid data support for scientific planning and precise policy implementation.
In this greening boom, Gansu not only relies on government power, but also actively mobilizes extensive participation from all walks of life. Through the innovative model of "Internet + national voluntary tree planting", we encourage and mobilize social forces to participate in land greening. As of the end of June this year, the province has completed the task of comprehensive management of 6.8995 million acres of forest, grass and sand, of which 1.1578 million acres have been forested, 3.8595 million acres have been grass cultivated and improved, and the comprehensive management of desertified land has reached 1.8822 million acres. Ecological management has achieved remarkable results.
In key areas of forest and grass resource protection and management, Gansu has deepened the reform of the forest chief system, clarified the responsibilities and missions of forest chiefs at all levels, strengthened the assessment and supervision mechanism, and ensured that forest and grass resources are effectively protected. At the same time, forest law enforcement has been strengthened in accordance with the law, deforestation has been severely cracked down, 201 reviews and approvals for the use of forest land and 275 reviews and approvals for grassland expropriation and occupation, and the occupation of forest land by commercial and commercial projects has been strictly controlled.
Faced with the potential threat of forest and grassland fires, Gansu has implemented 103 forest and grassland fire prevention projects this year, investing 21.48 million yuan to comprehensively strengthen forest and grassland fire prevention. In addition, it has also solidly promoted the prevention and control of harmful biological disasters. Through the implementation of the "Green Shield 2024" special quarantine law enforcement action and the cross-regional joint prevention and control mechanism, the spread of biological disasters has been effectively curbed. So far, 957,000 acres of grassland have been completed. Rat pest control tasks.
Innovate water control and water development paths: explore new ways to expand water resource utilization
It is understood that Gansu has clarified the goals of total water consumption during the "14th Five-Year Plan", water consumption of 10,000 yuan of GDP, and water consumption of 10,000 yuan of industrial added value, and has strengthened supervision and assessment to ensure that these goals are achieved. At the same time, Gansu has implemented a strict approval and supervision system for the exploitation of groundwater resources, and firmly says "no" to illegal and illegal water collection.
In order to build a more complete water network system, the "Gansu Province Water Network Construction Plan" was issued, and the Yellow River Basin, Yangtze River Basin, Inland River Basin and the province's flood control plans were revised, and more than 3000 square kilometers of small and medium-sized rivers were launched. The preparation of system management plans for small and medium-sized rivers accelerated the optimization of water network layout.
In terms of the construction of major water conservancy projects, 12 provincial-level major projects such as ecological protection and urban and rural water supply integration in Aksai County, and quality improvement and transformation of Yanhuanding-Yellow River Raising Project have been successfully advanced. The Bailong River Water Diversion Project, the Gansu Section of the Yellow River Flood Control Project and Preliminary work such as the first phase of the Corridor Water Resources Allocation Project (the Extension and Efficiency Increase Project of the Water Diversion Project) has also made positive progress. In the first half of this year, a total of 1205 water conservancy projects were started and resumed in the province, completing water conservancy investment of 10.151 billion yuan, accounting for 46% of the annual target tasks.
In terms of comprehensive management of water and soil erosion, Gansu has implemented water and soil conservation projects such as comprehensive management of small watersheds, tableland surface protection, and check dam construction. In the first half of this year, Gansu issued a central water conservancy development fund of 490 million yuan to control 771.17 square kilometers of water and soil erosion area, and the ecological environment continues to improve. In addition, the creation of beautiful and happy rivers and lakes has been carried out in depth, and 34 sections of beautiful and happy rivers and lakes have been built. The total length of rivers reaches 546.45 kilometers and the total area of lakes is 2.26 square kilometers, making it a good place for people to relax and entertain.
In terms of hydrological monitoring, early warning and forecasting, the National Basic Hydrological Station Upgrading and Construction Project (Phase I) in Gansu Province has been fully launched, and 19 of the 25 hydrological station upgrading projects have been completed. At the same time, Gansu is making every effort to promote the implementation of the hydrological business system construction project, accelerating the application of advanced technical equipment such as drone flow measurement, providing strong support for water resources management and disaster prevention.
With the widespread spread of water conservation concepts, water conservation has become a conscious action and way of life. Ma Yifan, a volunteer at the Law School of Lanzhou University who participated in water conservation promotion, said,"Water conservation is not a slogan, but an action." From agricultural water-saving irrigation to industrial water-saving emission reduction, from urban water-saving to rural water-saving, Gansu has comprehensively improved water use efficiency by formulating water-saving plans, promoting water-saving technologies, and strengthening water-saving publicity. At the same time, planning and management methods for the development and utilization of unconventional water resources have been formulated one after another, water-related planning and water-saving evaluation work of construction projects has been carried out in an orderly manner, the construction of water-saving carriers has been actively promoted, and solid steps have been taken in the construction of a water-saving society.
Developing characteristic industries in sand: creating a new business card for characteristic eco-tourism
Gansu focuses on the blocking battle from the Hexi Corridor to the edge of the Taklimakan Desert and the battle against the "few bends" of the Yellow River. Relying on key engineering projects, significant progress has been made in the comprehensive management of desertified land. As of the end of June this year, the province has completed 1.8822 million acres of comprehensive management of desertified land, accounting for 66.04% of the annual planned tasks.
In order to more effectively deal with desertification problems, Gansu has adopted a cross-regional joint prevention and control strategy. Minqin County of Wuwei City signed a cross-regional joint prevention and control framework agreement with Alxa Right Banner, and Zhangye City signed a provincial joint prevention and control framework agreement with Jiuquan City and Jinchang City, forming an all-round sand prevention and control system that combines point, line and surface, effectively improving the overall effectiveness of sand prevention and control.
In terms of governance measures, Gansu strictly implements the ban and protection of desertified land, and comprehensively supervises the 22 national desertified land ban and protection areas that have been built to ensure the effect of the ban. Project management has been further standardized by organizing self-examination and self-correction of national key desertification prevention and control project projects. Strict policy regulations have been implemented and the approval procedures for two construction activities to cross the national desertified land closed reserve have been completed.
In addition, Gansu is also actively exploring the development path of sandy economy. Relying on abundant sandy resources, we will develop the planting and processing of characteristic Chinese medicinal materials such as licorice, cistanche, and cynomorium according to local conditions, and promote the industrial development of sandy plant resources such as Xanthoceras sorbifolia, grapes, and wolfberry. At the same time, we will increase the construction of desert parks and desert botanical gardens, develop desert landscape tourism, desert health care and other industries, and inject new vitality into local economic development.
It is worth mentioning that Minqin County has been awarded the honorary title of "China's Best Desert Eco-Tourism Destination" due to its unique desert tourism resources, becoming a model for the integrated development of desertification prevention and eco-tourism in Gansu Province. At the same time, the introduction of the "photovoltaic desertification control" model cleverly combines clean energy and desert management, achieving a win-win situation between ecological and economic benefits.
Photo by Zhao Shipeng, Wind Power Cloud Sea
Build a strong ecological security defense line: Build a comprehensive environmental risk prevention and control system
With the in-depth implementation of the "1+N" policy system for carbon peak and carbon neutrality in Gansu Province, Gansu has actively participated in national carbon market transactions, and 20 power plants have completed the performance and payment tasks ahead of schedule. Baiyin City, Jiuquan City, Baiyin High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Gansu Minle Industrial Park successfully applied for the first batch of national collaborative innovation pilots for pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and Baiyin City was selected as a national pilot for deepening the construction of a climate-resilient city.
In the field of nuclear and radiation safety, Gansu strictly implements the nuclear safety work coordination mechanism, comprehensively investigates nuclear and radiation safety hazards and associated radioactive solid waste, and strengthens supervision and inspection of nuclear facilities and key nuclear technology utilization units. Actively promote routine and special monitoring of the radiation environment, the trial operation of the Jinta Frontier Station is progressing smoothly, and the revision of the emergency plan for radiation accidents has also been initiated.
In order to strengthen biosecurity management and implement the ecological security work coordination mechanism in Gansu Province, the "Opinions on Strengthening Ecological Environment Protection in the Qinling Mountains of Gansu Province" was issued to assess the biodiversity protection status of the Gansu area, a priority area for biodiversity protection in the Qinling Mountains Biodiversity Protection, and completed a biodiversity background survey in the Sanjiangyuan Gansu area of Qiangtang. At the same time, we will promote the pilot supervision of ecological protection red lines in the Qilian Mountains and the construction of ecological ground monitoring stations in national parks to build ecological barriers for biodiversity protection.
In terms of environmental risk prevention and control, Gansu focuses on heavy metals, tailings ponds, hazardous wastes, petrochemicals, etc., continues to carry out the investigation, management, supervision and inspection of potential environmental risks, and improves the "one river, one policy, one plan, one plan, and other activities to improve the professionalism and practical ability of the environmental emergency team to scientifically and properly handle environmental emergencies.
Gansu's ecological civilization construction is forging ahead. Although the results are beginning to show, it still needs to face challenges such as shortage of funds, sluggish tasks, and arduous target compliance. In the future, the whole province will accurately grasp the "five major relationships", refine tasks according to the "Decision", comprehensively take stock of progress, make up for shortcomings and strengths, and improve measures. At the same time, we will build an efficient management mechanism, strengthen overall dispatch and assistance, and promote ecological protection and restoration, pollution reduction, carbon reduction and green expansion, and green and low-carbon transformation to go hand in hand to jointly build an ecological security barrier in the western part of the country, drawing a picture of ecological beauty, prosperous industries, and A new picture of green development with people's prosperity.
